JP2014235839A - Battery pack, and multiple battery connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate identification of a factor of generation of abnormalities in a case where abnormalities occur in a battery pack, in a battery pack that can be mounted on various connection devices that can mount a plurality of battery packs and on various connection devices that can mount one battery pack.SOLUTION: A battery pack 11 (or 12) can be mounted on both a multiple battery connection device that can mount a plurality of battery packs and a single battery connection device that can mount one battery pack. The battery pack 11, when mounted on a device main body 10 of the multiple battery connection device, acquires mounting information indicating the mounting directly or indirectly and stores it in a storage part 37.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery pack and a plurality of battery connecting devices capable of mounting a plurality of battery packs.

  The electric power tool disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 is configured so that two battery packs can be attached to the main body of the electric power tool. In this electric power tool, two battery packs mounted on the main body of the electric power tool are connected in series to obtain a voltage necessary for appropriately driving the electric power tool.

  The battery pack that can be attached to the electric power tool can be attached not only to the electric power tool but also to other electric power tools. For example, the battery pack can be mounted on an electric tool that can be mounted with one battery pack.

  Thus, as a battery pack, a battery pack that can be mounted and driven on both an electric tool that can be mounted with a plurality of battery packs and an electric tool that can be mounted with one battery pack is provided.

  A battery pack that is used by being mounted on an electric tool or the like is generally provided with a rechargeable secondary battery. Such a battery pack can be charged by, for example, a charging device disclosed in Patent Document 2 below.

JP 2011-161602 A JP 2000-32678 A

  In power tools that can be equipped with multiple battery packs, when multiple battery packs are installed and used, there is a risk that the battery pack will malfunction due to over-discharge deterioration due to some abnormality in the power tool. There is. Alternatively, an abnormality may occur in the other battery pack due to some abnormality in one battery pack among the plurality of battery packs mounted at the same time.

  In any case, by examining the battery pack, it can be estimated to some extent whether the battery pack has an abnormality or what kind of abnormality has occurred. However, it is difficult to identify the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality, which is why the abnormality has occurred.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in various battery packs that can be mounted with a plurality of battery packs and various battery packs that can be mounted with a single battery pack, the battery The purpose is to make it easier to identify the cause of an abnormality when an abnormality occurs in the pack.

  The battery pack according to the first aspect of the present invention, which has been made in order to solve the above problems, can be mounted on both the multiple battery connection device and the single battery connection device. The plurality of battery connecting devices can be mounted with a plurality of battery packs, and can supply driving power from the plurality of battery packs to a load to be supplied with power. The single battery connecting device can be equipped with one battery pack and can supply driving power from the one battery pack to a load to be supplied with power.

  Thus, the battery pack that can be attached to both the multiple battery connection device and the single battery connection device includes a storage unit, an information acquisition unit, and a storage control unit. The storage unit can store information. When the battery pack is mounted on a plurality of battery connection devices, the information acquisition unit acquires mounting information that directly or indirectly indicates that the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connection devices. The storage control unit stores the mounting information acquired by the information acquisition unit in the storage unit.

  In the battery pack configured as described above, when the battery pack is mounted on a plurality of battery-connected devices, mounting information indicating that is stored in the storage unit. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, for example, by checking the presence / absence of mounting information stored in the storage unit or by checking the contents when mounting information is stored, the battery pack It becomes easier to identify the cause of abnormalities.

  The battery pack may include another battery mounting detection unit. The other battery attachment detection unit detects that the battery pack and the other battery pack other than the battery pack are attached to the plurality of battery connecting devices. As described above, when the battery pack includes the other battery mounting detection unit, the storage control unit may store the mounting information in the storage unit at the next timing. That is, when the battery pack is mounted on a plurality of battery connection devices, the storage control unit stores the mounting information in the storage unit after the other battery mounting detection unit detects the mounting of the other battery pack. Also good.

  A battery pack abnormality caused by mounting on a multiple battery connection device may occur even when only that battery pack is mounted on the multiple battery connection device, but other battery packs are also connected at the same time. The condition is more likely to cause an abnormality.

Therefore, by storing the mounting information after the other battery pack is mounted, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary storage processing of the mounting information and efficiently store the mounting information.
When a load that operates by receiving power supply from a battery pack mounted on a plurality of battery connection devices is mounted on the plurality of battery connection devices or the load mounting device, the plurality of battery connection devices are mounted on the mounted device. When an operation switch for switching between energization / non-energization of the load from the battery pack attached to the battery pack is provided, the battery pack may be configured as follows. Note that the load-mounted instrument is an instrument that is connected to a plurality of battery connection instruments and can receive power from the plurality of battery connection instruments.

  That is, the battery pack may include an operation detection unit that detects that the battery pack is operated when the operation switch is operated when the battery pack is attached to the plurality of battery connection devices. The storage control unit may store the mounting information in the storage unit after the operation detection unit detects the operation of the operation switch when the battery pack is mounted on a plurality of battery connection devices.

  The abnormality of the battery pack due to the attachment to the plurality of battery connection devices may occur even when the battery pack is simply attached to the plurality of battery connection devices and the load is not energized. However, it is expected that there is a higher possibility that an abnormality will occur when power is actually supplied to the load from the attached battery pack.

  Therefore, by storing the mounting information in the storage unit after the operation switch is operated (that is, after energization from the battery pack to the load is started), the mounting information can be reliably obtained at a timing when the possibility of occurrence of an abnormality is high. It can be memorized.

  When the plurality of battery connection devices are configured to be able to electrically connect a plurality of attached battery packs by a predetermined connection method and supply power from the plurality of connected battery packs to a load, an information acquisition unit May acquire battery connection method information as mounting information. Battery connection method information is information which shows the connection method of the several battery pack in a multiple battery connection instrument.

  It is also expected that the types of abnormalities that are likely to occur differ depending on the electrical connection method of the plurality of battery packs in the plurality of battery connection devices. Therefore, if the battery connection method information is acquired as the mounting information, when an abnormality occurs, the cause of the abnormality can be easily specified based on the acquired battery connection method information.

  The information acquisition unit may acquire predetermined device-specific information that can identify a plurality of battery-connected devices in which the battery pack is mounted as the mounting information. If the device-specific information of the plurality of battery connection devices actually mounted is stored, when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, the plurality of battery connection devices can be specified based on the device-specific information. Therefore, for example, it is possible to examine various characteristics of the identified multiple battery connection device, or to actually verify the state of the multiple battery connection device, thereby making it easy to identify the cause of the abnormality.

  The battery pack may include an abnormality detection unit that detects a predetermined abnormality in the battery pack. In this case, the information acquisition unit may acquire the mounting information when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit. Further, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, the storage control unit may store information indicating the detected abnormality in the storage unit together with the mounting information acquired by the information acquisition unit after the detection. .

  It is expected that there is a higher possibility that the cause of the abnormality can be identified in the mounting information after the abnormality actually occurs in the battery pack (preferably immediately after), rather than the mounting information in the normal state of the battery pack. The Thus, when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, the cause of the abnormality can be more easily identified by acquiring the mounting information after the abnormality has occurred and storing it in the storage unit.

  As a cause of the abnormality of the battery pack, the influence of other battery packs that are simultaneously mounted other than itself may be considered. That is, there is a possibility that the battery pack itself becomes in an abnormal state due to the influence of other battery packs that are simultaneously mounted.

  Therefore, the information acquisition unit may acquire predetermined other battery-specific information that can specify other battery packs that are mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices together with the battery pack as the mounting information. If other battery specific information is stored in the storage unit when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, it is possible to specify another battery pack that has been installed together with itself in the past based on the other battery specific information. Therefore, for example, it is possible to examine various characteristics of the identified other battery pack or to actually verify the state of the battery pack, thereby making it easier to identify the cause of the abnormality.

  The battery pack may include a connection terminal and an information output unit. The connection terminal is a terminal that can connect the battery pack to an external device. The information output unit outputs the mounting information stored in the storage unit to the external device from the connection terminal.

  Thus, by providing the connection terminal and the information output unit, the mounting information stored in the storage unit can be output to the external device, and the mounting information can be analyzed in the external device. Therefore, the possibility that the cause of the abnormality occurrence can be specified is further increased.

  The multiple battery connecting device in the second aspect of the present invention is a device that can be equipped with a plurality of battery packs and can supply driving power from the plurality of battery packs to a load to be supplied with power. This multi-battery connection tool includes a mounting information transmission unit. The mounting information transmitting unit transmits mounting information directly or indirectly indicating that the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices to the battery pack mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices.

  The multi-battery connection device configured in this manner provides mounting information to the mounted battery pack. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the attached battery pack, it is possible to easily identify the cause of the abnormality. That is, the user of the battery pack can easily identify the cause of the abnormality of the battery pack by using the mounting information provided from the plurality of battery connecting devices.

  The multi-battery connection device may include a battery specific information acquisition unit that acquires battery specific information that can identify the battery pack from a mounted battery pack. In that case, when a plurality of battery packs are mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices, the mounting information transmitting unit transmits at least a battery pack other than the transmission target battery pack as the mounting information to the battery pack of the mounting information transmission target. You may make it transmit the battery specific information of another battery pack.

  The multi-battery connection device configured in this manner provides specific information of other battery packs as mounting information to the mounted battery pack. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the attached battery pack, it is possible to easily identify the cause of the abnormality. That is, the user of the battery pack can easily identify the cause of the abnormality of the battery pack by using the battery specific information of the other battery pack provided from the plurality of battery connecting devices.

It is a perspective view of the multiple battery connection instrument of an embodiment. It is a circuit diagram showing the electric constitution of the multiple battery connection instrument of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the instrument main body communication process which MCU of an instrument main body of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart showing the battery pack communication process which BMU of a battery pack performs of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing schematic structure of a battery pack check system. It is a flowchart of the instrument main body communication process of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the battery pack communication process of 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the other example of the multiple battery connection instrument which can apply this invention. It is a perspective view showing the other example of the multiple battery connection instrument which can apply this invention.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the specific means, structure, etc. which are shown by the following embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, various forms can be taken. For example, a part of the configuration of the following embodiment is replaced with a known configuration having a similar function, added to or replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, or omitted as long as the problem can be solved. May be. Moreover, you may comprise combining the following several embodiment suitably.

[First Embodiment]
(1) Overall Configuration of Multiple Battery Connection Equipment 1 As shown in FIG. 1, a multiple battery connection equipment (hereinafter abbreviated as “connection equipment”) 1 is configured as an electric working machine, more specifically, grass and It is configured as a so-called brush cutter that cuts off small-diameter trees.

The instrument main body 10 of the connection instrument 1 includes a motor unit 2 and a shaft pipe 3 connected to one end of the motor unit 2.
The motor unit 2 houses a motor 14 (see FIG. 2) described later and a control circuit for controlling the motor 14 in the motor unit 2. The motor 14 of this embodiment is a brushed DC (direct current) motor.

  The motor unit 2 is provided with a battery mounting portion 13 on the other end of the motor unit 2 for detachably mounting the two battery packs of the first battery pack 11 and the second battery pack 12. More specifically, the battery mounting unit 13 individually attaches and detaches the battery packs 11 and 12 by sliding the battery packs 11 and 12 on the battery mounting unit 13 in the directions indicated by arrows in the drawing. It is configured to be possible.

  The shaft pipe 3 is formed in a hollow rod shape. A cutter mounting portion 5 for detachably mounting the cutter 4 is provided at the end of the shaft pipe 3 opposite to the motor unit 2. The cutter 4 has a substantially disc shape as a whole and is provided with a plurality of blades on the periphery.

  A handle 6 is provided in the vicinity of an intermediate position in the axial direction of the shaft pipe 3. The handle 6 is provided with a right hand grip 7 for the user of the connecting device 1 to hold with the right hand and a left hand grip 8 for the user to hold with the left hand. The right hand grip 7 is provided with a trigger switch 9 for the user to operate the rotation of the cutter 4.

  A driving force transmission shaft (hereinafter, abbreviated as a transmission shaft) (not shown) is accommodated in the shaft pipe 3. One end of the transmission shaft is connected to a rotor of a motor 14 described later housed in the motor unit 2. The other end of the transmission shaft is connected to the cutter 4 through a plurality of gears (not shown) provided in the cutter mounting portion 5. For this reason, the rotational driving force of the motor 14 is transmitted to the cutter 4 through the transmission shaft and the plurality of gears.

(2) Electrical configuration of connecting device 1 The connecting device 1 has a circuit configuration as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows an internal circuit of each of the battery packs 11 and 12 and an internal circuit of the instrument main body 10.

(2-1) Electrical configuration of battery packs 11 and 12 The first battery pack 11 includes a battery 20 composed of a plurality of (5 in this embodiment) cells 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 connected in series. I have. The second battery pack 12 also includes a battery 40 including a plurality of (in the present embodiment, five) cells 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 connected in series. Each of the cells 21 to 25 and 41 to 45 in the present embodiment is configured as a secondary battery (for example, a lithium ion secondary battery) cell. The rated voltages of the cells 21 to 25 and 41 to 45 are all the same. That is, the batteries 20 and 40 of the battery packs 11 and 12 are batteries having the same rated voltage.

  In the first battery pack 11, the positive electrode of the battery 20 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 31, and the negative electrode of the battery 20 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 32. The positive electrode terminal 31 and the negative electrode terminal 32 are respectively connected to the first positive electrode terminal 71 and the first negative electrode terminal 72 on the device body 10 side when the first battery pack 11 is mounted on the device body 10.

  In the second battery pack 12, the positive electrode of the battery 40 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 51, and the negative electrode of the battery 40 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 52. The positive electrode terminal 51 and the negative electrode terminal 52 are respectively connected to the second positive electrode terminal 76 and the second negative electrode terminal 77 on the device body 10 side when the second battery pack 12 is mounted on the device body 10.

  The first battery pack 11 includes a thermistor 29 for detecting the temperature of the battery 20 in the first battery pack 11. The thermistor 29 is provided in the vicinity of the battery 20 in the first battery pack 11. The second battery pack 12 also includes a thermistor 49 for detecting the temperature of the battery 40 in the second battery pack 12. The thermistor 49 is provided in the vicinity of the battery 40 in the second battery pack 12.

  The first battery pack 11 includes a battery management unit (BMU) 26 that monitors the state of the battery 20 and performs various processes. The BMU 26 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU 36, a memory 37, and the like. The memory 37 includes various storage media such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. The memory 37 stores in advance various information such as a unique ID (hereinafter referred to as pack ID) of the first battery pack 11 and product information. The pack ID is information unique to the first battery pack 11, and the first battery pack 11 can be specified by the pack ID.

  The BMU 26 includes a voltage of the battery 20 (hereinafter referred to as a battery voltage), a voltage of each of the cells 21 to 25 (hereinafter referred to as a cell voltage), a discharge current discharged from the battery 20, and a charging current for charging the battery 20. Various states of the battery 20 such as the temperature of the battery 20 (hereinafter referred to as battery temperature) are monitored.

  In the first battery pack 11, a current detection resistor 30 for detecting a current flowing through the energization path is provided in the energization path between the negative electrode terminal 32 and the negative electrode of the battery 20. The voltage at one end (the negative terminal 32 side) of the current detection resistor 30 is input to the BMU 26. The BMU 26 detects the discharge current and the charging current based on the voltage at one end of the current detection resistor 30. The BMU 26 detects the battery temperature based on the detection voltage input from the thermistor 29.

  The BMU 26 determines whether there is an abnormality in the first battery pack 11 based on various information such as a battery voltage, a cell voltage, a discharge current, a charging current, and a battery temperature. When an abnormality occurs, various processes described later (see S340 to S360 in FIG. 4) are executed, and a discharge stop signal DS1 indicating that discharge from the battery 20 should be prohibited is output.

  The output terminal of the discharge stop signal DS1 in the BMU 26 is connected to the base of the first transistor 27. The emitter of the first transistor 27 is connected to a first ground line (a ground line having the same potential as the negative electrode of the battery 20 of the first battery pack 11), and the collector is connected to the base of the second transistor 28. The emitter of the second transistor 28 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 20, and the collector is connected to the discharge stop signal output terminal 33.

  The BMU 26 sets the output to the base of the first transistor 27 to a high level (H level) when discharge is to be permitted. However, if the discharge is to be stopped due to detection of some abnormality, the first transistor 27 The low level (L level) discharge stop signal DS1 is output to the base 27.

  With such a configuration, the transistors 27 and 28 are turned on while the discharge from the battery 20 should be permitted and the discharge stop signal DS1 is not output from the BMU 26 (that is, during the H level output). The battery voltage is output from the discharge stop signal output terminal 33. The battery voltage output from the discharge stop signal output terminal 33 is input from the first discharge stop signal input terminal 73 in the instrument body 10 and input to the control unit (MCU) 15. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the battery voltage input from the first battery pack 11 is actually a predetermined voltage between the first discharge stop signal input terminal 73 and the MCU 15 in the instrument body 10. An interface circuit for shifting the level to a low voltage and inputting it to the MCU 15 is provided.

  In the first battery pack 11, when the discharge from the battery 20 is to be stopped and the discharge stop signal DS1 is output from the BMU 26 (that is, the L level output), the transistors 27 and 28 are turned off and the discharge is performed. The output from the stop signal output terminal 33 is high impedance (Hi-Z). This Hi-Z level output signal is input to the MCU 15 as the discharge stop signal AS1 on the instrument body 10 side.

  The BMU 26 of the first battery pack 11 can perform data communication with the MCU 15 on the instrument body 10 side via the data communication terminal 34. The BMU 26 can transmit information related to the first battery pack 11 to the MCU 15 in the instrument main body 10 and receive various information from the instrument main body 10 via the data communication terminal 34 as necessary.

  The second battery pack 12 has the same configuration as that of the first battery pack 11, and monitors the state of the battery 40 and performs various processes, and permits or stops discharge from the battery 40 to the MCU 15 of the instrument body 10. Two transistors 47 and 48 for transmission, a discharge stop signal output terminal 53, a data communication terminal 54 for performing data communication between the BMU 46 and the MCU 15 of the instrument body 10, and a thermistor 49 for detecting the temperature of the battery 40 And a current detection resistor 50 for detecting the charge / discharge current of the battery 40.

  Similar to the BMU 26 of the first battery pack 11, the BMU 46 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU 56, a memory 57, and the like. The memory 57 stores in advance various information such as the pack ID and product information of the second battery pack 12. Since the configuration and function of the second battery pack 12 are the same as those of the first battery pack 11, detailed description of the second battery pack 12 is omitted.

  Each battery pack 11, 12 can be used as a driving power source by being attached to various connecting devices other than the connecting device 1 (brusher) shown in FIG. 1. Among the various connection devices, there is also a single battery connection device that can be attached with only one battery pack and operates by electric power from the one battery pack. The battery packs 11 and 12 of the present invention can be mounted and operated on such a single battery connector.

(2-2) Electrical configuration of instrument body 10 Next, a control circuit in the instrument body 10 will be described. The control circuit in the instrument body 10 includes an MCU 15, a power supply circuit 16, a switch (SW) operation detection circuit 17, a driving FET 61, a driver 18, a current detection circuit 19, a differential amplifier 62, and a voltage divider. 63.

  In the control circuit, an energization path from the first positive terminal 71 to the second negative terminal 77 through the motor 14 is formed. In the energization path, a main switch 64 is provided in the energization path between the first positive electrode terminal 71 and one end of the motor 14 to turn on and off the energization path. In the energization path from the other end of the motor 14 to the second negative terminal 77, the driving FET 61 and the current detection circuit 19 are connected in series in this order.

  The main switch 64 constitutes the trigger switch 9. More specifically, the trigger switch 9 has a main switch 64 and a volume (variable resistor) 65 for generating an operation amount signal Si that is an analog voltage corresponding to the pull operation amount of the trigger switch 9 by the user. Prepare.

  When the user pulls the trigger switch 9 slightly, the main switch 64 is turned on, and the energization path between the first positive terminal 71 and one end of the motor 14 is conducted. When the user further pulls the trigger switch 9 from this state, an operation amount signal Si corresponding to the pull operation amount is input to the MCU 15. When the trigger switch 9 is turned on (off), it means that the main switch 64 is turned on (off).

  The first negative terminal 72 connected to the negative terminal 32 of the first battery pack 11 is connected to the second positive terminal 76 connected to the positive terminal 51 of the second battery pack 12. That is, when the battery packs 11 and 12 are mounted on the instrument body 10, the batteries 20 and 40 are connected in series. Therefore, the voltage between the first positive terminal 71 and the second negative terminal 77 of the instrument body 10, that is, the driving voltage supplied for driving the motor 14 is the sum of the battery voltages.

  The power supply circuit 16 has a step-down regulator. The power supply circuit 16 converts the battery voltage of the first battery pack 11 input through the first positive terminal 71 into a control voltage Vcc having a predetermined voltage value and outputs the control voltage Vcc. The battery voltage of the first battery pack 11 is input from the first positive terminal 71 to the input terminal of the power supply circuit 16 via the diode 67. The control voltage Vcc from the power supply circuit 16 is used as an operation power supply for each part in the control circuit such as the MCU 15, the differential amplifier 62, and the volume 65 in the trigger switch 9.

  The input terminal of the power supply circuit 16 is connected to the cathode of a diode 67 and to the cathode of another diode 68. The anode of the diode 68 is connected to the first ground line and the cathode of the diode 66, and the anode of the diode 66 is the second ground line (the same potential as the negative electrode of the battery 40 of the second battery pack 12). It is connected to the.

  With such a configuration, when only the first battery pack 11 is attached to the instrument body 10, the battery voltage of the battery 20 of the first battery pack 11 is supplied to the power supply circuit 16 via the diode 67. The power supply circuit 16 is operated by the battery voltage from the battery 20, and the control voltage Vcc is generated. When only the second battery pack 12 is attached to the instrument body 10, the battery voltage of the battery 40 of the second battery pack 12 is supplied from the second positive terminal 76 to the power supply circuit 16 via the diode 68. The power supply circuit 16 is operated by the battery voltage from the battery 40, and the control voltage Vcc is generated. When both of the battery packs 11 and 12 are mounted on the appliance main body 10, both series connection voltages are supplied to the power supply circuit 16, and the control voltage Vcc is generated.

  That is, when at least one of the two battery packs 11 and 12 is attached to the instrument main body 10, the power supply circuit 16 is activated to generate the control voltage Vcc, whereby the control voltage Vcc such as the MCU 15 is set. Each part as a power supply can operate.

  The switch operation detection circuit 17 detects the on / off state of the trigger switch 9 and outputs a signal indicating the on / off state to the MCU 15. The current detection circuit 19 detects a current flowing through the motor 14 (hereinafter referred to as drive current Im), and outputs a detection signal indicating the drive current Im to the MCU 15.

  The differential amplifier 62 detects the battery voltage of the battery 20 of the first battery pack 11 and outputs a first voltage detection signal VB1 corresponding to the battery voltage to the MCU 15. The voltage divider 63 divides the battery voltage of the battery 40 of the second battery pack 12 at a predetermined voltage dividing ratio, and outputs the divided value to the MCU 15 as a second voltage detection signal VB2 indicating the battery voltage.

  The MCU 15 controls the driving of the motor 14 by controlling the discharge from the power source in which the batteries 20 and 40 are connected in series to the motor 14. The MCU 15 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU 15a, a memory 15b, and the like. In the memory 15b, various types of information indicating the connection device 1, such as a unique ID of the connection device 1 (hereinafter referred to as device ID) and product information, are stored in advance. The product information includes, for example, the model name of the connection device 1 and a battery pack connection method (in this example, two battery packs are connected in series). The appliance ID is information unique to the connection appliance 1, and the connection appliance 1 (the appliance body 10) can be specified by the appliance ID.

  The MCU 15 stops energization of the motor 14 by turning off the driving FET 61 while the trigger switch 9 is turned off. On the other hand, when the trigger switch 9 is turned on, the MCU 15 PWM-drives the driving FET 61 to supply the electric power from each of the batteries 20 and 40 to the motor 14 and rotationally drive the motor 14.

  Specifically, the driving FET 61 is controlled through the driver 18. When the MCU 15 drives the motor 14 by turning on the trigger switch 9, the MCU 15 outputs a PWM drive signal Dp having a duty ratio corresponding to the pulling operation amount of the trigger switch 9 to the driver 18, and according to the pulling operation amount. The motor 14 is driven (rotated) by energizing (discharging) the motor 14 current.

  When the MCU 15 stops the motor 14 when the trigger switch 9 is turned off, the MCU 15 outputs the PWM drive signal Dp having a duty ratio of 0 to the driver 18 so that the driving FET 61 is completely turned off. Stop discharging to. The driver 18 PWM drives the driving FET 61 with the duty ratio based on the PWM drive signal Dp input from the MCU 15.

  The MCU 15 receives a discharge stop signal AS1 from the first battery pack 11 via the first discharge stop signal input terminal 73, or stops discharging from the second battery pack 12 via the second discharge stop signal input terminal 78. When the signal AS2 is input, the driving FET 61 is turned off to stop the discharge from the battery packs 11 and 12 to the motor 14.

  Further, the MCU 15 can perform data communication with the BMU 26 of the first battery pack 11 through the first data communication terminal 74, and can perform data communication with the BMU 46 of the second battery pack 12 through the second data communication terminal 79. .

(3) Description of Instrument Main Body Communication Process Performed by MCU 15 of Instrument Main Body 10 Next, instrument main body communication process executed by the MCU 15 of the instrument main body 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In the MCU 15, when the control voltage Vcc is supplied and the operation is started, the CPU 15a reads and executes the instrument main body communication processing program of FIG. 3 from the memory 15b.

  When the CPU 15a of the MCU 15 starts the instrument main body communication process of FIG. 3, it determines whether or not a battery pack is newly attached to the instrument main body 10 in S110. This determination can be made based on the values of the first voltage detection signal VB1 and the second voltage detection signal VB2, for example. Of course, it may be possible to determine whether or not the battery pack is attached by another method. When the battery pack is newly installed, battery information is acquired from the newly installed battery pack by data communication in S120.

  The battery information acquired here (that is, battery information transmitted from the battery pack) includes a pack ID and product information stored in the memory of the attached battery pack. The specific contents of the battery information can be determined as appropriate. For example, any one of the pack ID and product information (for example, product name and rated voltage) may be used, or other information other than these pieces of information may be used. In addition to both or one of these pieces of information, other information such as battery pack operation information and failure (abnormality) occurrence history information may also be included. The battery information acquired in S120 is stored in the memory 15b individually for each battery pack (that is, for each pack ID).

  In S130, it is determined whether or not all battery packs have been installed. In the present embodiment, since two battery packs can be attached to the instrument body 10, in the determination process of S130, specifically, it is determined whether or not two battery packs are attached.

  If all the battery packs are not yet installed in S130, or if no new battery pack is confirmed in S110, the process proceeds to S150. In S150, it is determined whether or not there is an information request (see S340 in FIG. 4) from any of the mounted battery packs. If there is no information request, the process returns to S110. If there is an information request, the process returns to S110 through the process of S160.

  In S160, the battery information of the other battery pack currently mounted is transmitted to the request source battery pack as simultaneous connection battery information, and the instrument body information of the instrument body 10 is transmitted.

  The simultaneous connection battery information is battery information for each battery pack that is acquired in S120 and stored in the memory 15b. The instrument main body information includes an instrument ID and product information stored in advance in the memory 15b. In addition, the specific content of apparatus main body information can be determined suitably, for example, any one of apparatus ID and product information may be sufficient, other information other than each of these information may be sufficient, and both or one of these each information In addition to the above, other information such as operation information of the instrument body 10 and failure (abnormality) occurrence history information may be included.

  When it is determined in S130 that all the battery packs have been installed, in S140, the battery information of the other battery packs is simultaneously connected to each installed battery pack, and the instrument body information of the instrument body 10 is displayed. Send.

  In S170, it is determined whether or not the trigger (trigger switch) 9 is pulled (specifically, whether or not the main switch 64 is turned on). When the trigger 9 is pulled (specifically, when the main switch 64 is turned on), in S180, the battery information of the other battery pack is used as the simultaneously connected battery information to each of the mounted battery packs, and the instrument body 10 The instrument body information is sent.

  In S190, it is determined whether or not the trigger 9 has been returned (specifically, whether or not the main switch 64 has been turned off). When the trigger 9 is returned (specifically, when the main switch 64 is turned off), the process returns to S170. If the trigger 9 has not been returned and is still pulled, it is determined in S230 whether or not there has been an information request from any battery pack. If there is no information request, the process returns to S190. If there is an information request, the process returns to S190 via the process of S240. In S240, the battery information of the other battery pack is transmitted to the request source battery pack as the simultaneously connected battery information, and the instrument body information of the instrument body 10 is transmitted.

  If the trigger 9 is not pulled in S170, it is determined in S200 whether there is an information request from any battery pack. If there is no information request, the process proceeds to S220. If there is an information request, the process proceeds to S220 via the process of S210. In S210, the battery information of the other battery pack is transmitted to the requesting battery pack as the simultaneously connected battery information, and the instrument body information of the instrument body 10 is transmitted.

  In S220, it is determined whether any one of the mounted battery packs has been removed. If all the battery packs are attached, the process returns to S170, but if any one is removed, the process returns to S110.

(4) Description of Battery Pack Communication Process Performed by BMU 26 of First Battery Pack 11 Next, the battery pack communication process performed by BMU 26 of the first battery pack 11 will be described with reference to FIG. When the BMU 26 starts operating upon receiving a control voltage supplied from a power supply circuit (not shown), the CPU 36 reads and executes the battery pack communication processing program of FIG. 4 from the memory 37. Note that the BMU 46 of the second battery pack 12 also executes the battery pack communication process of FIG.

  When the CPU 36 of the BMU 26 starts the battery pack communication process of FIG. 4, the CPU 36 determines whether or not the first battery pack 11 is attached to the instrument body 10 in S310. This determination can be made, for example, by configuring in advance that predetermined information is transmitted from the instrument body 10 by data communication or the like when the instrument body 10 is mounted. Of course, the presence or absence of attachment to the instrument body 10 may be determined by other methods.

  If it is determined in S310 that the battery is attached to the instrument body 10, the battery information of the first battery pack 11 itself is transmitted to the instrument body 10 by data communication in S320. The battery information transmitted here includes a pack ID and product information stored in advance in the memory 37 as described above. As described above, the specific contents of the battery information to be transmitted can be determined as appropriate.

  In S330, it is determined whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the first battery pack 11. Specifically, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the first battery pack 11 is determined based on various information such as a battery voltage, a cell voltage, a discharge current, a charging current, and a battery temperature.

  If an abnormality has occurred, an information request is made to the instrument body 10 in S340. In S350, the instrument main body information and the simultaneously connected battery information transmitted from the instrument main body 10 in response to the information request in S340 are acquired and stored in the memory 37. Further, in S360, the contents of the abnormality that has occurred are stored in the memory 37, and the battery pack communication process is terminated.

  If it is determined in S330 that no abnormality has occurred, the process proceeds to S370. In S370, it is determined whether or not the instrument main body information is received from the instrument main body 10. When the instrument main body information is received, the received instrument main body information is stored in the memory 37 in S380. The instrument body information is stored individually for each instrument body (for each instrument ID). If the instrument main body information is already stored for the same instrument main body, the instrument main body information that has already been stored may be left as it is, and new instrument main body information may be additionally stored. The information may be deleted and updated to new instrument body information.

  In S390, it is determined whether or not the first battery pack 11 is removed from the instrument body 10. If it is removed from the instrument body 10, the process returns to S310. If it is still attached to the instrument body 10, the process returns to S330.

  If it is determined in S370 that the instrument main body information has not been received, it is determined in S400 whether or not simultaneous connection battery information has been received from the instrument main body 10. When the simultaneous connection battery information is not received, the process returns to S330. If the simultaneous connection battery information is received, the received simultaneous connection battery information is stored in the memory 37 in S410, and the process proceeds to S390. The simultaneous connection battery information is stored individually for each battery pack (for each pack ID). If the simultaneously connected battery information is already stored for the same battery pack, the previously stored simultaneously connected battery information may be left as it is, and new simultaneously connected battery information may be additionally stored. The currently connected battery information may be deleted and updated to new simultaneously connected battery information.

(5) Description of Battery Pack Check System Each of the battery packs 11 and 12 of this embodiment that can be attached to the connection device 1 is a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”) via a relay adapter 81 as shown in FIG. ) 86 can be connected to build a battery pack check system. The battery pack check system of FIG. 5 is a system for the PC 86 to read various information stored in the battery pack, and to check and verify the usage history and state of the battery pack based on the read various information.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the relay adapter 81 includes a data communication terminal 83, a ground terminal 84, and a relay circuit 82. The data communication terminal 83 and the ground terminal 84 are connected to the relay circuit 82. One end of a relay cable 85 for connecting the relay adapter 81 to the PC 86 is connected to the relay circuit 82. Note that the other end of the relay cable 85 is connected to the PC 86.

  The relay adapter 81 can be attached to the first battery pack 11 or the second battery pack 12. When the relay adapter 81 is attached to the first battery pack 11, as shown in FIG. 5, the data communication terminal 83 of the relay adapter 81 is connected to the data communication terminal 34 of the first battery pack 11, and the ground terminal of the relay adapter 81 is connected. Connected to the negative terminal 32 of the first battery pack 11. Thereby, the relay circuit 82 can acquire various information in the memory 37 from the first battery pack 11 by data communication, and can transmit the acquired information to the PC 86 via the relay cable 85.

  The operation of the relay circuit 82 can be controlled from the PC 86. The operator of the PC 86 can transmit various information from the first battery pack 11 to the PC 86 via the relay adapter 81 by performing a predetermined operation. The PC 86 is installed with software for checking and verifying the state of the first battery pack 11 based on various types of information acquired from the first battery pack 11. The operator of the PC 86 can check and verify the state of the first battery pack 11 using this software.

  Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the first battery pack 11, in addition to being able to grasp the content of the abnormality to some extent by checking the battery voltage, internal circuits, etc., various information acquired from the first battery pack 11 Based on this, the cause of the abnormality can be identified (or easier to identify).

  For example, when the first battery pack 11 is deteriorated by overdischarge and the device ID is stored in the memory 37 of the first battery pack 11, the device ID is checked in the PC 86 side, so that it has been mounted in the past. A connecting device can be identified. As a result, it is possible to actually verify the state of the connection tool. As a result of the verification, for example, if any failure occurs on the connection tool side, the first battery pack 11 is affected by the failure. Can also identify or estimate that an abnormal condition has occurred.

  Further, for example, if the simultaneously connected battery information is stored in the memory 37 of the first battery pack 11, another battery pack attached to the instrument body at the same time as the first battery pack 11 can be considered as the cause of the abnormality. Therefore, by confirming the pack ID stored as the simultaneously connected battery information on the PC 86 side, it is possible to specify other battery packs that have been simultaneously mounted in the past. As a result, it is also possible to actually verify the state of the battery pack. As a result of the verification, for example, if any failure occurs on the battery pack side, the first battery pack is affected by the failure. 11 can also identify or estimate that an abnormal state has occurred.

(6) Effects of the First Embodiment According to the connection tool 1 of the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
When the battery pack is mounted on the connection device 1 (specifically, mounted on the device body 10), various information (mounting information indicating directly or indirectly that the device is mounted on the device body 10) is transmitted from the device body 10 to the battery pack. The various pieces of information are stored in the battery pack. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, for example, by checking the presence or absence of mounting information stored in the memory of the battery pack, or by checking the contents when mounting information is stored, It is easier to identify the cause of battery pack abnormality.

  The mounting information is transmitted from the appliance main body 10 to the battery pack after the battery pack necessary for driving the motor 14 is mounted, that is, in the present embodiment, after two battery packs are mounted. Therefore, useless storage processing of mounting information is suppressed, and mounting information can be stored efficiently.

  The mounting information is transmitted from the instrument body 10 to the battery pack even after the trigger switch 9 is pulled. A more likely timing for the occurrence of an abnormality in the battery pack is after the trigger switch 9 is pulled (that is, after the battery pack is actually discharged to the instrument body 10). Since the battery pack acquires the mounting information from the instrument body 10 at a timing when the abnormality is likely to occur, it becomes easier to identify the cause when the abnormality occurs.

  The battery pack acquires and stores device main body information (device ID, battery pack connection method, etc.) and simultaneous connection battery information (pack ID, etc.) as mounting information from the device main body 10. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the battery pack, it is easier to specify the cause of the abnormality by referring to the various pieces of stored information.

  For example, if the device ID is stored, the device main body corresponding to the device ID can be actually verified to identify the cause. Further, for example, if a pack ID is stored, other battery packs corresponding to the pack ID can be actually verified to identify the cause. In addition, for example, if the battery pack connection method in the instrument body is stored, it is possible to accurately identify the cause of the abnormality based on the connection method. For example, if the connection method of the battery pack in the instrument body installed in the past is a series connection of all the battery packs installed, the battery pack may be overloaded when used in the instrument body. Discharge is considered. Also, for example, when the battery pack connection method in the instrument body that has been mounted in the past is parallel connection of all the battery packs that have been mounted, forced charging by other battery packs as the cause of the abnormality of the battery pack Can be considered.

  The battery pack and the PC 86 are connected via the relay adapter 81, and the state of the battery pack can be verified by the PC 86. Therefore, it becomes easier to specify the cause of the abnormality of the battery pack by cooperating with the software of the PC 86.

  In the present embodiment, the memories 37 and 57 of the battery packs 11 and 12 correspond to an example of a storage unit of the present invention. The CPUs 36 and 56 of the battery packs 11 and 12 correspond to examples of the information acquisition unit, the storage control unit, the abnormality detection unit, and the mounting information transmission unit of the present invention. The trigger switch 9 corresponds to an example of the operation switch of the present invention. The simultaneously connected battery information and the appliance main body information transmitted from the appliance main body 10 to the battery pack correspond to an example of the mounting information of the present invention. The pack ID in the simultaneous connection battery information particularly corresponds to an example of other battery specific information of the present invention, and the device ID in the apparatus main body information in particular corresponds to an example of the instrument specific information of the present invention. The data communication terminals 34 and 54 and the negative terminals 32 and 52 of the battery packs 11 and 12 correspond to an example of connection terminals of the present invention.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, another example of the instrument main body communication process executed by the MCU 15 of the instrument main body 10 (specifically, executed by the CPU 15a) and the BMUs 26 and 46 of the battery packs 11 and 12 are executed (specifically, executed by the CPUs 36 and 56). Another example of the battery pack communication process will be described as a second embodiment.

(1) Description of Instrument Main Body Communication Process The instrument main body communication process of the present embodiment is as shown in FIG. The CPU 15a of the MCU 15 determines whether or not a battery pack is newly attached to the instrument body 10 in S510 when the instrument body communication process of FIG. 5 is started. When the battery pack is newly mounted, in S520, a mounting notification indicating that the battery pack is mounted is transmitted to the mounted battery pack. When the attachment notification is transmitted, the battery information is transmitted by data communication from the destination battery pack. Therefore, in S530, the battery information transmitted from the newly mounted battery pack is acquired. The battery information acquired in S530 is stored in the memory 15b individually for each battery pack (that is, for each pack ID).

  In S540, it is determined whether or not all battery packs have been installed. If all battery packs have not been installed yet, or if new battery pack installation has not been confirmed in S510, the process proceeds to S560. In S560, it is determined whether or not there is an information request from any of the mounted battery packs. If there is no information request, the process returns to S510. If there is an information request, the process returns to S510 via the process of S570. In S570, the simultaneous connection battery information (battery information of other battery packs currently mounted) and the instrument main body information are transmitted to the requesting battery pack.

  If it is determined in S540 that all the battery packs have been installed, in S550, all attachments indicating that all the battery packs have been attached to the instrument body 10 by data communication with respect to each attached battery pack Send a completion notification.

  In S580, it is determined whether or not the trigger (trigger switch) 9 has been pulled. When the trigger 9 is pulled, a trigger pulling operation notification indicating that the trigger 9 is pulled is transmitted to each battery pack that is mounted in S590.

  In S600, it is determined whether or not the trigger 9 has been returned. If the trigger 9 has been returned, in S610, a trigger return operation notification indicating that the trigger 9 has been returned is transmitted to each battery pack that is mounted, and the process returns to S580. If the trigger 9 has not been returned and is still pulled, it is determined in S660 whether or not there is an information request from any battery pack. If there is no information request, the process returns to S600, but if there is an information request, the process returns to S600 through the process of S670. In S670, the simultaneously connected battery information and the instrument body information are transmitted to the requesting battery pack.

  If the trigger 9 is not pulled in S580, it is determined in S620 whether or not there is an information request from any battery pack. If there is no information request, the process proceeds to S640. If there is an information request, the process proceeds to S640 through the process of S630. In S630, the simultaneously connected battery information and the instrument main body information are transmitted to the requesting battery pack.

  In S640, it is determined whether or not one of the attached battery packs has been removed. If all the battery packs are installed, the process returns to S580, but if any one is removed, the process proceeds to S650. In S650, a battery removal notification indicating that any one of the batteries has been removed is transmitted to each of the mounted battery packs by data communication.

(2) Description of Battery Pack Communication Process Next, the battery pack communication process executed by the BMU 26 of the first battery pack 11 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the BMU 46 of the second battery pack 12 similarly executes the battery pack communication process of FIG.

  When the CPU 36 of the BMU 26 starts the battery pack communication process of FIG. 7, the CPU 36 determines whether or not the first battery pack 11 is attached to the instrument body 10 in S710. This determination is made based on the presence / absence of an attachment notification transmitted from the instrument body 10. If it is determined in S710 that the device body 10 is attached, the battery information of the first battery pack 11 itself is transmitted to the device body 10 by data communication in S720.

  In S730, information is requested from the instrument body 10. In S740, information (simultaneously connected battery information and instrument body information) transmitted from the instrument body 10 in response to the information request in S730 is acquired and stored in the memory 37.

  In S750, it is determined whether or not it has been detected that all the battery packs have been attached to the instrument body 10. This determination is made based on the presence / absence of an all-mounting completion notification transmitted from the instrument body 10. When it is detected that all the battery packs are attached to the instrument body 10 due to the transmission of the all attachment completion notification from the instrument body 10, information is requested from the instrument body 10 in S770. In S780, information (simultaneously connected battery information and instrument body information) transmitted from the instrument body 10 in response to the information request in S770 is acquired and stored in the memory 37.

  If it is determined in S750 that the all attachment completion notification has not yet been transmitted from the instrument body 10, it is determined that all the battery packs are not yet attached, and the process proceeds to S760. In S760, it is determined whether or not the first battery pack 11 itself has been removed from the instrument body 10. This determination can be made by, for example, a method based on the availability of data communication with the instrument body 10 via the data communication terminal 34 or other various methods. If it is determined in S760 that the device itself has been removed from the instrument body 10, the process returns to S710, and if it is still attached to the instrument body 10, the process returns to S750.

  In S790, it is determined whether or not the pull operation of the trigger 9 in the instrument body 10 is detected. This determination is made based on the presence or absence of a trigger pull operation notification transmitted from the instrument body 10. When the trigger pull operation notification is transmitted from the instrument body 10, the pull operation of the trigger 9 is detected, and the process proceeds to S820. In S820, information is requested from the instrument body 10. In S830, information (simultaneously connected battery information and instrument body information) transmitted from the instrument body 10 in response to the information request in S820 is acquired and stored in the memory 37.

  In S840, it is determined whether or not a return operation of the trigger 9 in the instrument body 10 is detected. This determination is made based on the presence or absence of a trigger return operation notification transmitted from the instrument body 10. When the trigger return operation notification is transmitted from the instrument body 10, the return operation of the trigger 9 is detected, and the process returns to S790. When the return operation of the trigger 9 is not detected (that is, when the pull operation is still performed), it is determined in S850 whether or not the first battery pack 11 itself has been removed from the instrument body 10. If it is removed from the instrument body 10, the process returns to S710. If it is still attached to the instrument body 10, the process returns to S840.

  If the pulling operation of the trigger 9 is not detected in S790, it is determined whether or not the first battery pack 11 itself has been removed from the instrument body 10 in S800. If it is removed from the instrument body 10, the process returns to S710, and if it is still attached to the instrument body 10, the process proceeds to S810. In S810, it is determined whether a battery pack other than itself has been removed from the instrument body 10. This determination is made based on the presence or absence of a battery removal notification transmitted from the instrument body 10. If another battery pack is removed, the process returns to S750. If no other battery pack is removed, the process returns to S790.

(3) Effects of Second Embodiment, etc. According to the connection device 1 of the present embodiment described above, the device body 10 executes the device body communication process of FIG. 6, and each of the battery packs 11 and 12 is the battery of FIG. Since the pack communication process is executed, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In addition, in the battery pack communication process of the present embodiment, the process of S330 to S360 in the battery pack communication process of the first embodiment shown in FIG. In addition, various information from the instrument body 10 may be acquired and stored.

In the present embodiment, the CPUs 36 and 56 of the battery packs 11 and 12 correspond to examples of other battery attachment detection units and operation detection units of the present invention.
[Other Embodiments]
(1) The appliance body 10 of the above embodiment has a configuration in which two battery packs are connected in series to drive the motor 14, but the application of the present invention is a configuration in which two battery packs are connected in series in this way. It is not limited to the appliance. The present invention is configured so that a plurality of battery packs are connected in parallel, and a plurality of battery packs are connected in parallel as a set of battery packs in which a predetermined number of battery packs are connected in series. It is also applicable to the instruments that have been used.

Moreover, the number of battery packs in the case of serial connection and the number of battery packs in the case of parallel connection or the series pack row can be determined as appropriate.
In the case of an instrument configured to use a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel, information may be acquired from the instrument body and stored in a memory even when only one battery pack is attached.

(2) You may make it acquire simultaneous connection battery information via direct data communication with battery packs other than self (that is, not via the instrument main body with which it is mounted | worn).
(3) The timing for transmitting the battery information from the battery pack to the instrument body and the timing for transmitting the instrument body information and the simultaneously connected battery information from the instrument body to the battery pack are not limited to the timings in the above embodiment, but are determined as appropriate. be able to.

  For example, the instrument body information may be transmitted to any one of the battery packs whenever the battery pack is mounted. Regarding the simultaneous connection battery information, every time another battery pack is newly installed from the state where one battery pack is installed, the simultaneous connection battery information regarding the other newly installed battery pack is already stored. You may make it transmit to the battery pack with which it was mounted | worn. Specifically, for example, in an electric machine apparatus that can be equipped with three battery packs, simultaneous connection battery information may be transmitted to each battery pack when the three battery packs are attached. Simultaneously connected battery information may be transmitted to each battery pack when the battery pack is attached. As long as a plurality of battery packs are installed at the same time, regardless of the number of battery packs, any one of the battery packs installed may affect other battery packs. Therefore, the simultaneous connection battery information may be transmitted when the number of simultaneously installed battery packs becomes plural or whenever the number changes.

  (4) The specific content of the simultaneously connected battery information transmitted from the appliance main body and the specific content of the appliance main body information are not limited to the contents in the above embodiment, and can be determined as appropriate. Further, only one of these two types of information may be transmitted.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, the MCU 15 of the instrument body 10 and the BMUs 26 and 46 of the battery packs 11 and 12 are described as being configured by a microcomputer. However, the MCU 15 and the BMUs 26 and 46 are not limited to the microcomputer. For example, it may be configured by ASIC, FPGA, other various ICs, logic circuits, or the like.

  (6) Although the motor 14 of the above embodiment is a DC motor with a brush, the present invention is also applied to a connecting device having a motor other than a DC motor with a brush (for example, a brushless motor, various AC motors, etc.). Applicable.

  (7) In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an electric working machine (specifically, a brush cutter) has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to an electric working machine, and a plurality of battery packs can be mounted. Applicable to all kinds of multiple battery connection devices. For example, the present invention can be applied to the electric power tool 100 illustrated in FIG. The electric tool 100 shown in FIG. 8 is an electric tool used for making a hole in a workpiece or performing a screw fastening operation.

  The power tool 100 of FIG. 8 is used with two battery packs 101 and 102 mounted on the battery mounting portion 104 of the main body 103. When the two battery packs 101 and 102 are mounted on the battery mounting unit 104, the batteries in the battery packs 101 and 102 are connected in series to serve as a power source for the motor accommodated in the main body 103. The present invention can also be applied to the electric tool 100 configured as described above.

  (8) Further, for example, the present invention can be applied to various adapters 91 and 92 as shown in FIG. Each of the adapters 91 and 92 is for connecting the two battery packs 11 and 12 in series and supplying electric power to the electric tool 90, and corresponds to an example of the multiple battery connecting device of the present invention. The electric tool 90 in FIG. 9 is configured as a so-called blower having a blowing function.

  The single adapter 91 is provided with a main body attaching / detaching connector portion for attaching / detaching the single adapter 91 to / from the main body of the electric tool 90 on the upper surface thereof. The single adapter 91 is individually provided with a battery mounting portion for attaching and detaching the two battery packs 11 and 12 on the lower surface thereof. In the single adapter 91, a circuit for electrically connecting two attached battery packs 11 and 12 in series is incorporated.

  When the stand-alone adapter 91 with the two battery packs 11 and 12 is attached to the main body of the electric tool 90, power can be supplied from the stand-alone adapter 91 to the main body of the electric tool 90, and the electric tool 90 is operable. It becomes. In this state, when the operation switch 90a provided on the main body is operated, the electric tool 90 is operated to blow air.

  On the other hand, the unit separation type adapter 92 includes a main body side unit 95 that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the electric power tool 90, a pack side unit 97 that can attach and detach two battery packs 11 and 12, and a main body side unit 95 and a pack side unit 97. Are connected to each other.

  The main body side unit 95 is provided with a main body attaching / detaching connector portion for attaching / detaching the main body side unit 95 to / from the main body of the electric tool 90 on the upper surface thereof. The pack side unit 97 is individually provided with battery mounting portions for attaching and detaching the two battery packs 11 and 12 on the lower surface thereof. In the pack side unit 97, a circuit for electrically connecting two attached battery packs 11 and 12 in series is incorporated.

  When the main body side unit 95 is attached to the main body of the electric tool 90 in a state where the two battery packs 11 and 12 are attached to the pack side unit 97, electric power can be supplied from the pack side unit 97 to the main body of the electric tool 90. The power tool 90 is in an operable state. The present invention can be applied to the adapters 91 and 92 configured as described above.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Multiple battery connection instrument, 2 ... Motor unit, 3 ... Shaft pipe, 4 ... Cutter, 5 ... Cutter mounting part, 6 ... Handle, 7 ... Right hand grip, 8 ... Left hand grip, 9 ... Trigger switch, 10 ... Instrument body 11 ... 1st battery pack, 12 ... 2nd battery pack, 13, 104 ... Battery mounting part, 14 ... Motor, 15a, 36, 56 ... CPU, 15b, 37, 57 ... Memory, 16 ... Power supply circuit, 17 ... Switch operation detection circuit, 18 ... driver, 19 ... current detection circuit, 20, 40 ... battery, 21-25, 41-45 ... cell, 27, 47 ... first transistor, 28, 48 ... second transistor, 29, 49 ... thermistor, 30, 50 ... current detection resistor, 31, 51 ... positive terminal, 32, 52 ... negative terminal, 33, 53 ... discharge stop signal output terminal, 34, 5 Data communication terminal, 61 FET for driving, 62 Differential amplifier, 63 Voltage divider, 64 Main switch, 65 Volume, 66 to 68 Diode, 71 First positive terminal, 72 First negative terminal 73 ... First discharge stop signal input terminal, 74 ... First data communication terminal, 76 ... Second positive terminal, 77 ... Second negative terminal, 78 ... Second discharge stop signal input terminal, 79 ... Second data communication terminal , 81 ... Relay adapter, 82 ... Relay circuit, 83 ... Data communication terminal, 84 ... Ground terminal, 85 ... Relay cable, 86 ... PC, 90, 100 ... Electric tool, 90a ... Operation switch, 91 ... Single-unit adapter, 92 ... Separate unit adapter, 95... Body side unit, 96... Electrical cord, 97 .. pack side unit, 101 and 102.

Claims (10)

A plurality of battery connecting devices capable of mounting a plurality of battery packs and capable of supplying driving power from the plurality of battery packs to a load to be supplied with power, and a single battery pack capable of mounting a single battery pack In a battery pack that can be attached to both a single battery connecting device that can supply driving power from a pack to a load to be supplied with power,
A storage unit capable of storing information;
When the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connection instruments, an information acquisition unit that acquires mounting information directly or indirectly indicating that the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connection instruments;
A storage control unit for storing the mounting information acquired by the information acquisition unit in the storage unit;
A battery pack comprising: The battery pack according to claim 1,
When the battery pack and the battery pack other than the battery pack are mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices, the battery pack includes an other battery mounting detection unit that detects that the other battery pack is mounted.
The storage control unit stores the mounting information in the storage unit after the mounting of the other battery pack is detected by the other battery mounting detection unit when the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices. A battery pack characterized by that. The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2,
The load that operates by receiving power supply from the battery pack attached to the plurality of battery connection devices can receive power from the plurality of battery connection devices by being connected to the plurality of battery connection devices or the plurality of battery connection devices. Mounted on a load-bearing instrument,
The plurality of battery connecting instruments or the load mounting instrument is provided with an operation switch for switching energization / non-energization from the battery pack attached to the plurality of battery connecting instruments to the load,
The battery pack includes an operation detection unit that detects that the battery pack is operated when the operation switch is operated when the battery pack is attached to the plurality of battery connection instruments,
The storage control unit stores the mounting information in the storage unit after an operation of the operation switch is detected by the operation detection unit when the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices. And battery pack. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The plurality of battery connection instruments are configured to be able to supply power from the plurality of connected battery packs to the load by electrically connecting the plurality of mounted battery packs by a predetermined connection method,
The information acquisition unit acquires battery connection method information indicating the connection method of the plurality of battery packs in the plurality of battery connection devices as the mounting information. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information acquisition unit acquires, as the mounting information, predetermined device specific information that can specify the plurality of battery connecting devices on which the battery pack is mounted. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An abnormality detection unit that detects a predetermined abnormality in the battery pack,
The information acquisition unit acquires the mounting information when the abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit,
When the abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, the storage control unit stores information indicating the detected abnormality in the storage unit together with the mounting information acquired by the information acquisition unit after the detection. A battery pack characterized by The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The said information acquisition part acquires predetermined other battery specific information which can specify the other battery pack with which the said battery pack was mounted | worn with the said battery pack as said mounting information. The battery pack characterized by the above-mentioned. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A connection terminal that can be connected to an external device;
An information output unit that outputs the mounting information stored in the storage unit from the connection terminal to the external device;
A battery pack comprising: In a plurality of battery connecting devices that can be equipped with a plurality of battery packs and can supply driving power from the plurality of battery packs to a load to be supplied with power,
A plurality of battery connections, comprising: a mounting information transmitting unit that transmits mounting information directly or indirectly indicating that the battery pack is mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices with respect to the mounted battery pack. Instruments. The multi-battery connection device according to claim 9,
A battery-specific information acquisition unit that acquires battery-specific information that can identify the battery pack from the mounted battery pack,
When the plurality of battery packs are mounted on the plurality of battery connecting devices, the mounting information transmitting unit transmits at least the battery to be transmitted as the mounting information to the battery pack to which the mounting information is to be transmitted. Transmitting the battery-specific information of a battery pack other than the pack.